


Safe Here

by DeadMilitia



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Abuse, Aftermath of Torture, Child Neglect, Fear, Hurt/Comfort, Panic Attacks, Physical Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-06
Updated: 2019-07-12
Packaged: 2020-06-22 10:08:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19665277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeadMilitia/pseuds/DeadMilitia
Summary: Dan has never known what it was like to be loved. He feared for his life every day. He was sure he was going to die in that house.Until one day, someone reports his parents. Now Dan is being sent to live with a foster family. Everything is overwhelming for him. Everyone was too nice and he wasn't used to it. The only person who didn't treat him like a frightened puppy was the son of his foster parents, Phil.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Abuse is a horrible thing to go through and I am in no way trying to down play the experience of so many people. I was abused by my dad. My dad threatened my life and the life of my mom and sisters more than once. He once threatened to bash my little sister's head into the wall if she didn't stop crying. She was 2 years old at the time. I would lock myself in the bathroom because it was the only room with a lock and I was afraid. I remember begging my mom to call the police when my dad was coming to the house when my parents were separated. I remember my mom telling me with tears in her eyes that the police wouldn't help (we had called them multiple times). I remember being 14 and accepting that I wasn't going to live to be 18. I remember being woken up by my mom at 2am and told to hurry up and grab whatever I could and get in the car because my dad was on his way to the house to kill us. I remember having to live with my aunt and her putting guns in every room and teaching us how to use them if anything happened. I remember our neighbor coming over to our house and standing on the front porch with his shot gun so we could get the rest of what we needed from the house without being afraid of my dad showing up and then following us back to my aunt's house. I remember a lawyer telling my mom that he didn't feel comfortable helping Mom fight against my dad because he was afraid that her fighting would result in her or one of us kids being killed. I remember my dad having visitation rights with us and trying to take us to a secluded lake to drown us. So no, I don't take abuse lightly. Abuse should never be down played. It's a horrible thing to live through.

Dan cowered in the corner of the dark closet. It was the place his parents locked him whenever he did something they didn't like. Though most of the time he hadn't done anything to deserve it. He believed they just got tired of seeing him. He sat back against the wall with his knees to his chest. He hated the closet. He swore there was something in there with him. He felt like something was looming over him, read to attack at any moment. He tried to tell himself that he was safe but his fear wouldn't go away. He tried to even out his breathing but he couldn't control it. 

His arm hurt and so did his mouth. He had experienced broken bones before so he knew his arm wasn't broken. His parents had a good reason to beat him and lock him away this time. He spoke to their neighbor. He wasn't allowed to talk to anyone. His mom came outside just as the old man was asking Dan about himself. The man was eyeing him suspiciously and asking a lot of questions Dan couldn't answer. His mom called for him to come inside and he could tell from the look on her face that he was in for a bad beating today. 

After being tossed in the closet, he had curled himself up in the corner like always. He was never quite sure how long he'd be stuck in the closet. Sometimes he was locked away for days. At least his mom had a tiny bit of decency in her. She'd allow him to use the bathroom once a day and give him water and bread. It was better than when his mom wasn't home. When she had gone on a trip, he spent three days locked in the dark closet. He wasn't allowed to come out for anything. He had been sure he would die in that closet. He had only been let out when his mom got home. He didn't think his mom actually cared. She just didn't want him dying because then they'd have to deal with it and possibly be charged with his death. 

His eyes darted around the dark as he started feeling like something was watching him. It was do dark since the hallway the closet was in was dark and no light came in under the door. He knew it was just his imagination seeing shapes in the dark but it was never something he'd get used to. He jumped when he heard his dad yelling. His parents fought a lot. The house was never quiet, never at peace. Even when his dad was at work. His mom would shout at him and hit him. He didn't have his own bedroom since the house only had one. He had always slept on the living room floor. 

He laid on his side, keeping his back against the wall. He usually slept when he was locked away because he had nothing else to do. Even though it was difficult to sleep. He liked the feeling of being unconscious. He didn't have to feel or think about anything. His dreams were surprisingly nice. He closed his eyes and tried to make the tears stop and even out his breathing so he could fall asleep. 

\--------------------

Dan was woken up by loud yelling. He laid still to listen to what was being said. If he heard his name he'd know to be ready for another beating. 

"He's lying," Dan heard his dad shout. He then heard a voice he didn't recognize. Nobody ever came to the house and if they did, his parents never let them inside. 

"Sir, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law." Dan heard the man reading his dad his rights. They only did that when arresting, right? Dan's heart was pounding as a mixture of fear and hope flooded through him. If he could be saved, it would be an answer to prayer. But there's was also the fear that his parents would be let go and he'd be returned to them. He would definitely be beaten for raising suspicion. Dan heard a female voice reading his mom her rights. They were both being arrested. 

Dan heard the house go quiet. He could no longer hear his dad yelling. Had they arrested them and left? What was going on happen to him? Was he safe to leave the closet? He quietly crawled to the door and pressed his ear against it. He heard footsteps and scrambled back into his corner. In his scrambling, he caused the coats hanging above his head to move and the hangers hit the wall. 

"Did you hear that?" He heard a male voice say. He felt the panic in his chest. What were they going to do to him? The closet door slowly opened. The man shined his flashlight into the closet and directly into Dan's eyes. Dan squinted in the bright light and the officer lowered the light. "I found him," he called to whoever else was in the house. 

"Hey there, do you want to come out?" Dan didn't respond, his eyes darted around behind the man, looking for any sign of his parents. There was another man in the hallway. Dan didn't know what they wanted with him. Were they going to hurt him? 

"It's okay, your parents have been taken into police custody. I'm Officer Young," the man said gently. "And this is Officer West. We're here to help you. Will you come out here and talk to us?" Dan hesitated before slowly crawling forward. He stood up, never taking his eyes off of the two men. The officers led Dan to the living room where he was sat on the couch. He noticed that the officers were looking him over and he was sure he looked horrible. He knew he was covered in bruises and he wasn't a healthy weight. He was also dirty since he hadn't been allowed to shower lately. He watched as Officer West leaned in to whisper something to Officer Young. Officer Young left through the front door and Officer West sat on the coffee table in front of Dan. 

"Can you tell me your name?" Officer West asked. 

"D-Dan," he replied so quietly he wasn't sure the man could hear him. 

"Did your parents put you in that closet, Dan?" Dan hesitated before nodding his head yes. "How often do they do that?" Dan wanted to answer but couldn't find his voice. 

"Did your parents give you those bruises?" He nodded again. "What did they do?" Dan didn't respond. He felt that if he didn't actually say anything then he wasn't breaking any rules. 

"Have they hurt you before this?" Officer West motioned to Dan's bruised body. Dan nodded again. The man seemed to look over Dan again. His eyes went up and down the teen's body. 

"Do you know why we're here?" Dan shook his head no. "Your neighbor called us and told us that he saw you today and that he was worried about you. He said he doesn't see you often." Officer Young came back inside and gave a nod to Officer West. 

"We're going to take you in to police protection. Do you know what that is?" Dan shook his head no. "It's where we keep you for 72 hours either with a foster family or a relative. In those 72 hours we decide what should be done with your family and whether you should return home, or be permanently placed somewhere else. We also decide whether it's necessary to take action against your parents. 

"But before we do that, will you allow us to take you to the hospital?" Dan's eyes widened and he shook his head no. He had only been to the hospital when he had broken bones and his life had been threatened every time. The hospital was scary to him. 

"It'll be okay, Dan. We need to have you looked over. You have blood on your face and you appear malnurished. I promise I'll stay with you the whole time. Will you let us take you?" Dan thought it over. If he was going to be away from his parents for 72 hours and they aren't around right now, they won't know he was at the hospital. He finally nodded his head slightly. Officer West gave him a smile before standing up. He motioned for Dan to follow him. 

They went outside and Dan saw police cars parked in front of the house. He also noticed people were standing on their porches looking at him. He looked around at the people being illuminated by the red and blue flashing lights. Some were pointing his way and talking to the people around them. He saw an officer talking to the old man next door. The man met Dan's eyes and gave him a sympathetic look. Dan was led to one of the cars and sat in the back. Officer West got in the driver's seat and they pulled away. He stared out the window at the house. The only times he had left the house were trips to the hospital. He was yelled at and threatened the whole way. He felt the fear settling in his gut as they drove. He didn't know what was going to happen to him now.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to have this up earlier but I went to a police and fire department thing today. I'm currently covered in black gunk and sweat but wanted to post this before showering, lol.   
> Meant to say this at the end of the last chapter, but I'm not sure yet if this will have any romance in it. Romance doesn't fix a person.   
> Also, if you want to follow me on Instagram it's @tru_oddball and tumblr is @tru-oddball.

Dan sat in the cold hospital room on a white bed. Officer West was sitting in a chair near him and a woman was sitting beside him. Dan had been told her name was Cindy and that she worked with child protective services. By law, she had to be in the room when he was examined. They had already done some tests on him, mostly checking his brain. 

"Alright, Dan, I'm going to have you change into this hospital gown. Officer West and Cindy will be right outside the door while you change. Just open the door when you're changed." The nurse told him as she handed him a green hospital gown. After everyone had left the room and the door was shut, Dan stood there and stared at the gown. He hesitated before gently lifting his shirt over his head. The shirt was black with a logo on the front. It had belonged to his dad. His gray sweat pants had belonged to his mom. His parents had never really bought him clothes. Most of his clothes growing up had been from a church who ran a food pantry and gave away free clothes. 

Once he had figured out how to tie the gown around himself, he folded his clothes and laid them on the table next to his bed. The floor was cold on his barefeet as he walked over to the door and opened it. He saw Officer West and Cindy talking in low voices on the other side of the hallway. They both smiled at him when they heard the door open. 

"Ready?" Officer West asked. Dan only nodded in response. The two of them walked back into the room as Dan sat down on the bed again. After a few minutes, a nurse came in to check that he was ready. She told him that a doctor would be by shortly. It didn't take long for a doctor to come into the room. He was a large man with a bald head and short facial hair. His eyes were kind and he had a nice smile but Dan still was afraid. He wasn't used to other people. And the few times he dealt with other people were scary situations. The doctors setting his bones always hurt him, the cruel woman who baby-sat him when he was young, his uncle who was just like his parents. He learned early on not to trust others. 

"Hello, Dan," the man said. The volume of his voice made Dan jump. He wasn't expecting such a loud tone. "My name is Dr. Remn and I will be doing your physical. Now, do you want these two to stay? Or would you rather they step outside? I will be asking you to remove your gown for part of the examination." Dan's eyes widened and he looked to Officer West as if the man was supposed to stop it somehow. 

"I can stay if you want me to, Dan." Officer West said. Dan nodded his head, looking back at Dr. Remn to be sure he saw his answer. Dan wasn't sure why he trusted Officer West. There was something about the soft tone of voice and the kind eyes. Plus, Officer West was the one to remove him from the house. He didn't want to be left with strangers even though Officer West was also a stranger. The only thing he knew about doctors was that they hurt you and he didn't want to be alone for that. 

"And what about Cindy?" Dr. Remn asked, motioning to the woman next to Officer West. Dan only nodded his head again. "Alright, first I'm just going to do some stuff I'm sure the nurse has already done." He put his stethoscope in his ears before placing the metal to Dan's back. The first half of the examination was simple things like listening to his lungs and heart, checking his ears, checking his eyes, and checking his mouth and throat. 

"Alright, Dan, I was told that your arm is hurt. Which arm is it?" Dan held out his right arm. Dr. Remn gently took ahold of his arm and turned it over to look at it. It was bruised and slightly swollen. "How did it get hurt?" 

"My-my dad," Dan replied. He wanted to tell him everything that happened if it meant he never had to go back to that house. But there was still the fear that his parents would punish him for talking. 

"What did your dad do?" Dr. Remn asked in a gentle voice. Dan hesitated before replying. 

"Threw me," Dan said quietly. "Threw me against the-the wall." 

"Did you try to catch yourself with your hands?" Dan nodded his head yes. "Was that when you got hurt? From catching yourself?" Dan nodded again. 

"I'd like to do an x-ray of your arm just to be sure the bones are okay. It's really not swollen that much, you can just tell a slight difference between your arms. Especially at the wrist. And your right wrist is bruised." Dr. Remn said, looking between both of Dan's arms. "For the next part, I'm going to have you remove the gown." Dan hesitated before standing up and slowly removing the gown. His body had new and old bruises along with cuts and scars. Dr. Remn's eyes instantly went to the worst of the scars. 

"What happened there?" He asked, pointing at the large scar across Dan's left side.

"My dad threw me into-into a glass table." Dan basically whispered. He was afraid to speak too loudly, as if saying it quietly wasn't breaking any rules.

"Did you come to the hospital for that?" Dan shook his head no. Dr. Remn's gloved hands traced over the scar, moving Dan a bit to look at it better. "It looks like it was stitched. There are a few dotted scars." Dr. Remn pointed out the faint stitch marks. 

"My-my uncle," was all Dan said. 

"Your uncle stitched you up?" Dan nodded his head. "Is your uncle a doctor?" Dan shook his head no. Tears stung his eyes at the memory. It had hurt so much. His dad forced him to drink some whiskey and then he held Dan down while his uncle stitched his wound. Dan had struggled and he knew that was why the stitches scarred him. After a while, he had learned that it hurt less if he laid still. So he laid still and sobbed while it happened. 

Dan flinched when his ribs were pressed on. They were tender from his most recent beating. "Sorry," Dr. Remn said quietly. Dr. Remn had Dan turn around and he examined some of the scars and bruises on his back. "Can you tell me what these burn scars are from?" 

"My mom," Dan whispered. 

"What happened?" Dr. Remn pressed on Dan's back in certain spots. 

"I-I overslept," Dan replied. He wasn't sure if that was the answer Dr. Remn was looking for or if he meant what had she used. "She used, um, she used a sp-spoon heated with a, um, a lighter." Dan looked up at Officer West who looked angry. Dan felt his stomach drop. Was he giving too much information to the doctor? Was he going to be punished for speaking? 

"Cindy, would you arrange for a photographer to come in?" Dr. Remn asked, getting Dan's attention. 

"Photographer?" Dan asked as he was turned back to face Dr. Remn. 

"We're just going to take pictures of your wounds to have on record." Dr. Remn explained. Dan didn't respond. He was told he could put his gown back on until the photographer got there. 

\-----------------

Dan laid in the hospital bed and stared at the ceiling. After the pictures, x-rays, blood draws, and more questions, he was finally left alone. Officer West had to leave but promised Dan that he would be back in the morning. The room was quiet except for the occasional clicking noise the blood pressure monitor made. The machine for his IV started beeping and Dan wasn't sure if he should call for the nurse or not. Was it supposed to beep? He had to be given fluids and he was on a special diet that consisted of nutrient rich foods. He had eaten what he could the last time they brought him food. He was also going to be taking supplements. 

After about twenty minutes of the beeping, he finally hit the call button. He hated bothering the nurse but he wasn't sure what else to do. The nurse he knew as Stacy came in a few minutes later. 

"The beeping?" She guessed before Dan could say anything. He nodded his head. "The bag is empty so it's just letting us know it ran through it. When it starts beeping, you can hit the call button. Sometimes there's a snag or a link in the IV somewhere and the fluid isn't flowing anymore so it's good to let us know, okay?" She said as she messed with the machine. 

"I'll have to get another bag. I'll be right back," she said before leaving the room. Stacy was a short woman with black hair and pale skin. She was nice and Dan felt comfortable with her. When she had helped him shower earlier, she had played music on her phone. Dan had told her he didn't know much music so she introduced him to her favorites. Dan hadn't really needed help showering but Stacy said she was just there to unhook him and be sure he didn't fall since he was so unsteady when he walked. They told him he was so shaky from being malnurished but he thought it was from how scared he was. 

"You don't want to watch TV or anything?" Stacy asked when she got back. 

"I don't really know of any shows." Dan said quietly. He hadn't been allowed to watch TV. He only watched when his parents watched it in the living room. They mostly watched TV in their bedroom though. 

"Do you want to try to find something?" Stacy asked, Dan just nodded. It would be nice to have some noise other than the machine noises. " Do you like cartoons?" 

"I-I don't know," Dan replied. She stopped on a show called "Teen Titans." 

"This is one of my favorites. Do you want to give it a try?" Dan nodded. He really didn't care what he watched. "If you don't like it or just want to watch something else, just press one of these buttons. This is the volume and this turns it on and off." Stacy explained, showing him the different buttons. Dan thanked her quietly before she left the room. He laid there and watched the show. He found himself enjoying it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm writing this on my laptop and then I have to type it up here on my phone because I don't have internet. So please forgive mistakes and point them out so I can fix them. 
> 
> Also, DAN AT PRIDE! :D


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is brought to you by Insomnia.

Phil's parents had fostered a few kids over the years, mostly little kids. Most were temporary placements. One named Martyn had been with them for four years when Phil was young. Martyn had moved out when he was eighteen but he was still a part of their family. Him and Phil got along well and he had treated Phil like a little brother from the start. Phil didn't mind the kids his family fostered. He had a pretty easy time getting along with people. And since most of them were kids, he had a pretty easy time winning them over. 

His family could only foster two at a time and they currently didn't have any. This new placement would be the first in a couple of months. All Phil knew was that it was a boy who was the same age as himself, sixteen. He also knew the guy had been in police protection with another family and was now being moved to a permanent placement with them. He had been told that the foster was from a rough home and was frightened easily. Phil was about as intimidating as a bunny so he didn't think he would be scary to the guy. 

Phil finished making the bed in the foster bedroom. They had removed the crib from the last placement and brought the twin sized bed back into the room. Him and his dad had put it together and while his parents were at work, Phil started setting up the room. They kept the foster stuff in the attic and brought down what was necessary for the foster. After he had re-boxed the baby toys from the room, he carried them up to the attic. Some of the stuff had to wait until his parents got home because he couldn't carry it alone. So far the only thing in the room was the bed. 

Phil had washed the bedding before putting it on the bed and put the crib bedding in the washer. Once it was done, he folded and packed up the baby stuff before taking it back upstairs. Phil knew that he was destined to be a foster parent when he was on his own. He enjoyed what his family did. Sure, some of the placements were harder than others, but his family still enjoyed what they were doing. As Phil was walking down from the attic, he heard the front door shutting. 

"Phil? You didn't have to do all of that." His mom said, looking at the foster bedroom. He had packed up all of the baby stuff, cleaned the carpet, and made the bed. It wasn't like he had done much. 

"It wasn't much. There's still a lot to get done before tomorrow." Phil pointed out, knowing his mom already knew that. 

"Either way, I appreciate it." She said before heading back downstairs. Phil was always a bit nervous with a new placement. Sure, he could get along with people easily, but he was also an awkward introvert. The first week or two was usually pretty awkward for him. 

\--------------------

Dan had only been with his temporary placement for one night. Most of his police protection time was spent in the hospital. Once they felt he was hydrated enough, they released him to his foster family. Dan was glad he hadn't been sent to live with a relative. He didn't know any of his family except for his dad's brother and he was glad that the stitches thing was enough to keep him from being placed there. He had been told that his parents were being held on child abuse charges and would be going to court. It was up to him if he wanted to testify against them or not. He hadn't given his answer yet because he didn't know. Officer West had told him that his testimony would help keep his parents locked away which he wanted, but he wasn't sure he could sit in front of a room of strangers and his parents and tell what they did to him. 

Dan had decided that his temporary foster parents were nice enough. They had made sure he had what the doctor told him to eat and that he remembered his supplements. He hadn't spent enough time to be comfortable with them though. He hadn't slept at all that night. These were strangers. He had no clue what kind of people they were. He had laid in the soft bed all night and listened for any noise. The people had two other fosters and a baby of their own. He was sharing a room with an eleven year old boy. 

He sat on the edge of the bed. His eyes stung from how tired he was. The doctor gave him some sleeping pills but he hadn't taken them. He had been told that Cindy would be there at one to take him to his permanent foster family. Dan felt exhausted from the last few days. So much had changed and it was all still changing. He was about to be placed with new strangers. He didn't want to go back to his parents but all of this was too overwhelming to deal with. Plus, once he was settled in to his foster home, more would change. Cindy had told him he would be signed up with a home teacher and he would be placed in therapy. He also had to keep up with doctor appointments until his body was healthy. It was all so much to handle at once. 

"Dan?" The foster mom, Kelly, said from the doorway. "Cindy is here to get you." She said with a smile. Dan picked up the only bag he had. It was a duffle bag the police department had given him. It wasn't like he had many possessions. They asked if there was anything he wanted them to bring him from the house but he didn't even have anything worth getting there. He had his old clothes but he didn't need them. Officer West and some other officers had pitched in and gotten Dan some new clothes. He didn't have much but it was better than what he had before and he was grateful. They had put the clothes in the duffle bag along with some things like a new toothbrush and other necessities. 

Dan walked downstairs to see Cindy by the door. She smiled at him and said, "you ready to go?" He nodded his head. He said bye to the foster family before following Cindy to the car. He put his duffle bag in the back seat before sitting in the passenger seat. "So this new family has been fostering kids for years. They are extremely nice and we've never had any problems with them. The kids have all loved them. They have a son of their own named Phil who is the same age as you. They currently don't have any fosters so it'll just be you and Phil." Cindy explained. 

"The dad is the manager of a company that makes car parts. The mom works at her sister's antique shop through the day but I think she takes the summer off to take care of Phil and her fosters." Dan knew this wad probably supposed to make him less nervous but it wasn't working. He didn't belong in such a perfect sounding family. His parents told him all the time how he ruined their plans for a family. He wasn't the child they wanted. His mom had a hard time getting pregnant and then couldn't have another baby after him. He wasn't worth anything to them. He definitely didn't belong in a family like what his fosters had. He would just ruin everything. 

It was about a twenty-seven minute ride before they got to the Lester household. Dan felt like he was going to be sick. The neighborhood was nice. All of the houses were well taken care of with perfectly mowed lawns and decorations on the outside. Cindy pulled into the driveway of a two story white house with light blue trimming. The front porch had a white railing and a light blue, wooden swing along with some potted plants. Cindy turned the car off and started getting out. Dan hesitated until Cindy motioned for him to come along. He climbed out of the car and grabbed his bag. 

"You don't need to be nervous, Dan. These are probably the nicest people you could be placed with." She tried to reassure him. They walked up the steps and she knocked on the door. It wasn't long before the door was opened and a woman with a smile greeted them. 

"Hi, come on in," she said, moving aside. Cindy walked in with Dan behind her. Cindy and Mrs. Lester greeted each other before Mrs. Lester turned to Dan. "And we're so happy to have you, Dan. My name is Kathy and this is my son, Phil. My husband is still at work but he'll be home in a couple of hours." Dan was happy that neither of them tried to hug him. The first foster mom had tried and it freaked him out. He didn't know she was trying to hug him at first. Her moving towards him with hands out towards him had scared him. He thought he was going to be hurt. 

Cindy and Mrs. Lester went to the kitchen to go over the things Mrs. Lester needed to know about Dan. Dan stayed standing by the door, trying not to look directly at Phil on the couch. 

"You can sit down," Phil said in a kind tone. Dan stayed where he was for a few moments before walking over and sitting on the floor. "You don't want to sit on the couch?" 

"Am-Am I allowed to?" Dan asked, looking to the kitchen where he could see Mrs. Lester. Phil was giving him a weird look but quickly covered it up with a smile. 

"Of course you're allowed," Phil told him, patting the cushion next to him. 

"I-I think I should wait, um, wait and ask Mrs. Lester." Dan said, not moving from hospital spot. He didn't want to get I'm trouble on his first day. Phil was giving him a weird look that was making him uncomfortable. Was he making Phil mad? 

"Is that all you have?" Phil asked, motioning to the duffle bag. Dan nodded his head. Dan wasn't sure what the look on Phil's face meant. Dan noticed that Phil's eyes were looking over his body. It made Dan but he didn't say anything. He noticed that Phil's eyes lingered on his right arm. Dan placed his left hand over his bruised right wrist. The doctor told him it wasn't broken, just sprained and that it would stop hurting eventually. 

"Alright, Dan," Cindy said as she came back into the room. "If you don't need anything else from me, I'll be on my way." Dan just gave her a small smile, not knowing what he was supposed to say. 

"I'm sure you'll be very happy here, Dan. I'm sure you'll feel at home in no time." Cindy said before saying goodbye and leaving.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm currently studying for the HSE test but I'll update as much as I can. I start HSE Prep Class on the 24th. I'm really excited to get my life together so good vibes are appreciated. My therapist, psychiatrist, case manager, and girlfriend are helping me so much with getting on track. I'm almost 25 so I feel that it's time to get my shit together.

"Alright, how about Phil and I show you to your new room?" Mrs. Lester said, she looked around and her eyes fell on the single bag. "Oh, did Cindy leave with the rest of your things? I didn't even think to check." Dan shook his head no. 

"That's all he has," Phil told her. Dan couldn't figure out what was in Phil's tone. He sounded sad but why would he be sad over Dan's belongings? 

"Oh, alright then," Mrs. Lester said. Phil got up and took Dan's bag before Mrs. Lester led them upstairs. She opened a door and Dan looked around the room. The walls were white and the carpet was the same cream colored as the rest of the house. There was a bed with black and blue comforter set on it. There was a dresser, a small desk in the corner near a window, and a black bean bag chair. There was also a small four shelf book shelf with a TV on top of it. 

"It's not much but we can get you some more things." She said, glancing at the bag Phil set on the bed. Dan shook his head. 

"It's, um, it's fine. This is fine. Thank you," he said, keeping his eyes down. 

"The bathroom is the next room over and you can use anything in the shower that you want. You can help yourself to anything in the kitchen whenever you want it. We're pretty easy going when it comes to rules. The only things we ask is that you be home by 10pm, 9 on school nights. During the summer we really don't care what time you go to bed as long as it's not too late. We also expect you to be up by 10am. During the school year, lights out at 10pm." She explained, there was a knock on the door. She seemed to hesitate before telling Dan she'd be back. 

"If you're quiet enough, she'll never know when you go to bed. I'm a night owl and she's only caught me a few times." Phil told him with a smirk. Dan forced a small smile. "Do you want help unpacking your things?" 

"It's okay," Dan said quietly. It was quiet except for the talking from Mrs. Lester and whoever had been at the door. 

"It's my mom's friend, Janet. She'll be around a lot, just so you know." Phil told him. "Do you want me to leave you alone?" Phil asked, looking a bit awkward. Dan shook his head no. He walked over to his duffle bag and started pulling stuff out of it. He kept glancing at Phil as he carried his stuff to the dresser. What he had barely filled one drawer. He looked at what was left in the bag. It was all bathroom stuff. He glanced at Phil who was now doing something on his phone. Dan picked up the bag and left the room. His heart was pounding. He was terrified of doing something wrong. He wasn't sure which door was the bathroom so he tried the one on the right of his room. 

"Oh, that's my room," Phil said, coming to stand near Dan. Dan shut the door instantly. 

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't, um, know." Dan said, hoping Phil wouldn't be mad. 

"It's okay," Phil smiled at him. "If you ever need anything, I'm right here." Phil motioned at the door. 

"Is-Is that the bathroom?" Dan asked, pointing at the other door on the other side of Dan's room. 

"Yeah," Phil walked over and opened the door for Dan. "What do you have left in your bag?" Dan held the bag out to Phil who looked inside. There was a toothbrush, toothpaste, some shampoo, body wash, and deodorant. Phil took the toothbrush out and put it in a porcelain holder by the sink. He stuck the toothpaste and deodorant in the cabinet behind the mirror. He placed the shower stuff on the rack in the shower. 

"There are towels and tags in that cabinet," Phil pointed at a cabinet above the toilet. "Like Mom said, you can use anything on that rack that you need. " Dan nodded his head slightly to show he was listening. 

"Do you want to see my room?" Phil asked, pointing over his shoulder. Dan shrugged since he didn't know what the right answer was. Was he allowed in Phil's room? Phil walked back to his room with Dan behind him. "I have a huge DVD collection if you ever want to borrow any. Do you like movies?"

"I-I don't know," Dan answered. 

"What do you mean?" Phil asked, sounding like he might already know. 

"I wasn't, um, allowed to see movies." Dan whispered as he looked at the DVDs on the shelf. There was a lot of titles that grabbed his attention but he didn't think he'd ever borrow any. If something happened to Phil's things, he hated to think what would happen to himself. 

"Well, we still have some time before my dad gets home, do you want to watch a movie?" Dan glanced at the door. 

"Am I allowed to?" Dan asked, fearing Mrs. Lester's reaction. 

"Of course you are. You don't have to be afraid here." Phil said, his gaze was making Dan uncomfortable. He wasn't sure what to call Phil's expression other than sad. But why would Phil be sad? 

"May-Maybe I should ask first," Dan whispered. 

"Will that make you feel more comfortable?" Dan nodded. "Alright, let's go ask." Phil forced a small smile. Dan wondered if he was annoying Phil and he was just covering it up with a smile. Phil led Dan downstairs and to the living room where Mrs. Lester and Janet were talking. 

"Oh, Janet, this is Dan," Mrs. Lester said cheerfully. "Dan, this is Janet Keith." Dan gave an awkward wave. 

"Um, Dan has a question." Phil said, looking over at Dan whose eyes got wide. His heart was pounding in his chest and his stomach was twisting. 

"Um, can-can I watch a m-movie... with Phil?" Dan asked quietly. He glanced up at Mrs. Lester who was giving him a sad expression like Phil had. Dan didn't understand why. Shouldn't they be mad? He had spent way too much time bugging them. He also had talked way too much today. 

"Of course, honey," Mrs. Lester said with a forced smile. Phil smiled at Dan and it seemed like the first real smile he had seen. 

"He on, I'll pick out something nice," Phil told him, leading him back upstairs. 

\---------------------

Dan and Phil had spent the afternoon watching movies. Phil tried to be careful about what he picked. He had a feeling that Dan wouldn't be able to handle horror or thriller movies yet, and he tried to steer clear of any emotionally draining movies. Phil spent a lot of time talking to Dan, too. He wanted to get a better understanding of the other teen. He was starting to realize that Dan hadn't been allowed to do much. He hadn't heard much music and what he did tell Phil was from a nurse at the hospital. He hadn't seen any movies or TV shows, hadn't read any books, and had never even heard of anime. 

"If you want a good book to read, start here," Phil said, picking up a book off of his shelf. He handed Harry Potter to Dan who stared at the cover. He seemed to be admiring the cover art. Dan held the book back out to Phil who was confused. 

"I, um, I can't really-really read," Dan mumbled, not looking up at Phil. 

"Oh, that's not a big deal. We can teach you." Phil shrugged like it really wasn't a big deal. He didn't want Dan to feel bad for something that wasn't his fault. He didn't get to pick who his parents were. Phil wondered if anything was being done to help Dan. 

"I'm sorry," Dan mumbled. 

"For what?" Phil furrowed his brow as he put the book back. 

"Not being able to read it." Dan basically whispered. 

"Don't worry about it. You'll be able to read it one day, if you want to, I mean." Phil told him, sitting back down beside him. He heard his phone vibrate again and reached over to grab it from the space between him and Dan. He had been texting some of his friends for most of the day. They were mostly curious about his new foster brother. Phil told them that this time was different and that it was best if they didn't come around for a while. His friends could be a bit much and he didn't want to scare Dan. They would meet him eventually, but not until Dan was more comfortable. 

Phil laid back on his bed while Dan sat on the very edge of it. Even though he kept telling Dan that he could lean back or sit however he liked, the other never moved. Phil could tell it would take some time but he was hoping to make Dan feel more at home. He decided to show Dan anime but chose not to go with one that would either scare, disturb, or upset Dan. It was kinda hard to find an anime that he felt wouldn't be too much for Dan. As they finished the second episode, he heard a car pulling up outside. Phil sat up and looked out the window to see his dad in the driveway. 

"Oh, Dad's home," he pointed out, getting Dan's attention. "Wanna go downstairs to meet him?" He could see the fear in Dan's eyes as he nodded his head slightly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for any mistakes. It's 4AM and I'm listening to Yesterqueer so I'm tired and was a bit distracted, lol.


End file.
